Aeroplane.



G. C. ST. LOUIS.

Patented July 17, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1- INVENTOR WITNESSES e. 0. ST. LOUIS.

' AEROPLANE. .APPLICATION FILED IAN-30, HHS. RENEWED DEC. 28.1916.

1,33,,6160 Patented July 17, 19117.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Fig. 2.

WITNESSES enonen o. s'r. LOUIS, or rnnsno, CALIFORNIA.

AEROPLANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 17, 1917.

Application filed. January 30, 1913, Serial No. 745,298. RenewedDecember 28,1916. Serial No. 139,420.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. ST. LOUIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fresno, in the county of Fresno and State of California,have invented new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to aeroplanes, having particular reference toimprovements in steering mechanism or machines of the type above noted.

The principal object of my invention resides in the provision of novelsteering rudders which may be conveniently operated from the driversseat.

A further object is to provide steering rudders for both vertical andhorizontal deflection of an aeroplane so forming and arranging therudders that while offering very little resistance to the wind, theywill at the same time add appreciably to the supporting surface of themachine. p

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as areshown in their preferred embodiment in the accom panying drawingsdescribed in the following specification and then more particularlypointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and forming a partof this application.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an areo.

plane equipped with my rudders.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation.

Fig. 4: is a front elevation.

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the means by which the aft rudders arecontrolled.

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the means by which the forward ruddersare manipulated.

Referring now to the drawings throughout which similar referencesdesignate corresponding parts:

My invention includes in general the rudder supporting beam 1 and thefore and aft rudders designated as entireties by the numerals 2 and 3respectively. The rudder supporting beam 1 is mounted centrally be tweenthe upper and lower planes and is held in spaced relation therefrom. bythe supporting rods 4 and 5. The rudder 2 is formed in two parts, thevertical member 6 being vertically disposed and in fixed relation to themember 1 and the horizontal blade designated by numeral 7 beingpivot theshaft 10 which is revolubly seated in a lateral bore provided in thebeam 1 and ad j acent the forward end thereof. As a means formanipulating the rudder blade 7 I employ the bail members 11 and 12, thecables 13 and 14, the pulleys 15, 16, 17 and 18 and the lever 19. Thebail members 11 and 12 are fixedly secured to the members 8 and 9, eachof the said bail members being held against undue lateral movement bythe contact of the bight portions of the bail with the supportingbeam 1. The cable 13 is secured at one end to the bail 11 is passedthrough the pulleys 15, 16 and 18 and is subsequently secured to thelever 19 above the pivot point20 thereof. The cable 1 1 is secured tothe bail 12 and passes through the pulleys l7 and 18 and is secured tothe lever below the pivot point 20.

, Having described the construction of the forward rudder I shall nowproceed to the description of the after rudder. v

This rudder includes as does the forward rudder, a horizontal and avertical blade designatedby numerals 21 and 22 respectively. Differingfrom the forward rudder however, in this respect: whereas the horizontal blade 7 of the forward rudder is pivotally mounted, in the afterrudder the hori zontal blade 21 is stationary and the vertical blade 22is pivotally mounted. It will be noted that the horizontal blade 21 andthe horizontal blade 7 are of peculiar formation, the rear corners ofthe said blades being angularly and downwardly deflected.

To the blade 22, I have attached the bails 23 and 24, these bails beingillustrated as right and left hand bails respectively. The cables 25 and26 are connected to the bails 23 and 2d and are supported by and passedthrough the pulleys 27 and 28. These cables are thensecured through thelever mechanism 29 which is identical in construction and operation withthe lever 19 by which the forward blade- 7 is operated. To permit theproper swinging movement, the blade 22 is pivotally mounted upon therear end of the beam 1 and the swinging movement to said bladesthenagain, suppose it is desired to change the course to the left, the lever29 is thrown forwardly, turning the blade 22 into the position desiredthrough a similar action of the cables and bails secured thereto.

From the foregoing disclosure the construction and operation of myinvention will be readily apparent.

It will of course be understood that various minor changes in details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts may be made within the scope ofthe appended claims and without sacrificing any of the advantages of myinvention.

What I claim is:

1. An aeronautical steering device including a supporting beam, a set offorward steering blades, horizontally and vertically disposed, thevertically disposed of said forward blades being in fixed relation tothe supportin beam, the horizontally disposed of said orward bladesbeing pivotally mounted thereon, the rear corners of said horizontalblade being angularly and downwardly deflected and means carried by saidhorizontal blade and said supporting beam for controlling the saidhorizontal blade, for the purpose set forth.

2. An aeronautical steering device including a supporting beam to bemounted lengitudinally of a machine, a set of rearward steering bladeshorizontally and vertically disposed, the horizontally disposed of saidrearward blades being in fixed relation to the supportmg beam, a pivotalmounting between said vertically disposed blade and the supporting beamprovided near one end of said vertical blade, the rear corners of saidhorizontally fixed blade being angularly and downwardly deflected, andmeans carried by said pivotally mounted blade to embrace and to havemovement with respect to said supporting beam to be operated to causedeflection of said pivoted blade to accomplish a steering or swinging ofsaid blade and means to cause actuation of said blade deflecting means.

3. An aeronautical steering device including a supporting beam, a set offorward steering blades horizontally and vertically disposed, a pivotalconnection between the forward ends of the horizontally disposed bladesand said supporting beam, a rear corner of each of said horizontalblades being angularly and downwardly deflected, bails secured to saidhorizontal blades and embracing said supporting beam, cables connectedwith said bails, and a lever with which said cables have connection andby which movement may be transmitted to the horizontally disposed bladesto cause swing ing thereof around said pivotal connection.

4. An aeronautical steering device including a supporting beam adaptedto be mounted longitudinally of a machine and to project from the rearthereof, a set of rearward steering blades horizontally and verticallydisposed, the vertically disposed of said steering blades provided witha pivotal mounting adjacent the rear edge thereof upon said supportingbeam, bails attached to the free swinging end of said vertical blade tobridge around said supporting beam and permit swinging movement of saidpivotally mounted blade, cables attached to said bails, and an operatinglever with which said cables have attachment and by which movement maybe transmitted to the bails to swing the pivotally mounted blade in onedirection or the other to accomplish steering action. GEORGE C. ST.LOUIS.

Witnesses G. V. Tonorrnn'rnn, H. M. ST. LOUIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

